ASSISTANCE GOALS: The United States Government (USG) assistance goals in Serbia are to strengthen institutional capacity of key government bodies, promote transparency through the improvement of adherence to the rule of law, support civil society development and create opportunities for economic growth. The USG works closely with the European Union, the World Bank and other bilateral donors to ensure that our programs are consistent and complementary.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Peace and Security (P&S)

Further defense reforms geared at improving security relations with its neighbors and building capacity to cooperate with NATO and participate in peacekeeping operations

Build NGOs’ capacity to participate in the public policy debate and advocate for reform

Build the capacity of the Serbian courts and prosecutors to effectively investigate, prosecute and adjudicate organized crime and war crimes

Improve the quality of news reporting in Serbia and strengthen the financial, management and production capacity of independent and minority broadcast media

Investing in People (IIP)

Promote the teaching of English in Serbian schools and support programs through which young Serbian citizens can study in the United States

Economic Growth (EG)

Improve the overall investment climate through support for a strong macroeconomic policy and legal framework to assure a sound financial sector

Address complex agricultural policy and infrastructure issues that help the country increase its agricultural production

Support enterprise development in order to expand economic opportunities, especially in vulnerable areas in southern Serbia

RECENT SUCCESSES:

USG’s capacity-building assistance provided legal advice and mentoring on complex and sensitive cases, which has led to prosecutions and convictions in major cases involving organized crime and corruption. In FY 2010, 20 members of a narcotics smuggling gang were indicted for trafficking over 2.8 metric tons of cocaine from South America to Europe.

In FY 2010, the USG provided technical assistance to Serbia’s new High Court Council to enhance judicial independence by building its capacity to manage its own budget and conduct strategic planning for the court system.

In FY 2010, USG programs provided more than 3,000 young Serbian citizens with improved educational access and opportunities to learn English.

USG assistance helped the government of Serbia enhance its capabilities in monetary policy and improve its application of information technologies to government financial operations. Assistance to the National Bank of Serbia increased the quality of its inflation reporting and external communications aimed at improving public understanding of inflation projections.

The USG supported initiatives to develop private laboratories to provide certification of origin and compliance with phytosanitary standards, and to support pilot farms seeking to introduce new plant varieties. Through participation of Serbian entrepreneurs in trade fairs, new markets were identified and marketing channels established for their products.

*This fact sheet does not reflect centrally managed or regional Foreign Operations funding that is not specifically budgeted for Serbia.